Life As We Know It
by thekatthatbarks
Summary: Shizune and Genma die unexpectedly on a mission, leaving their newborn to Kakashi and Sakura. Written for Kakasaku Week 2016 Day 5: Prompt: Movie AU


"We can't do this," Sakura sighed defeated as she fell to the floor and leaned her back against the wall.

Kakashi slid down beside her, "Yes, we can."

"Kakashi, I just don't think –" Sakura turned to look at him and then burst out laughing.

He glared at her, "What?"

"Your mask," Sakura told him when she finally got ahold of herself, "It's covered in baby powder."

Kakashi wiped a hand across the blue fabric and looked at his white covered fingers. He pulled the fabric away from him and let it snap back to his face, sending a puff of white powder into the air. Sakura started laughing again and Kakashi joined her, noticing how beautiful she looked when she smiled.

This wasn't really what he pictured his life would be like when he turned thirty-seven. But life was full of surprises. He was still having trouble dealing with the fact that he'd lost two more friends to the shinobi life. Shizune and Genma had died on a mission a month ago and left him and Sakura as the new guardians of their four-month-old baby. Sakura and him weren't even dating, so he had no idea why they chose them to be the parents, but they had.

Neither of them hadn't been prepared to be sudden parents and were having _trouble_ adjusting to it. Sakura was busy running the hospital, which was stressing her out, especially since losing Shizune. And Kakashi, well, he had never thought he would get the little house and the white picket fence. They had been good friends before all of this happened, but it seemed like lately they couldn't stop fighting. But right now, they were laughing. Laughing about _baby powder_ , but still laughing.

Kakashi put a hand on Sakura's knee and she slowly stopped giggling. She looked up at him and he met her eyes, "We can do this, Sakura."

She smiled at him and leaned against his shoulder, "Yeah, maybe we just might pull it off."

Kakashi didn't know how long they sat there like that, but it was a nice change of pace after having Sakura yell at him all night bout trying to feed a baby ramen. She had called him worse than _Naruto_.

Soon enough the comfortable silence was broken by little Akiko crying. Sakura sighed and made a move to get up, but Kakashi stopped her and gently pushed her back down, "I got it."

Sakura smiled at him gratefully and Kakashi went to Akiko's nursery to see what was wrong. Akiko was wailing in her crib and when she saw him she made grabby hands for him. Kakashi chuckled and picked her up, swaying her side to side. She calmed down in a matter of seconds.

Her hands still reached for him and when he brought her closer, she grasped for his mask. Akiko had developed a vengeance against his mask and always tried to take it off him when she was close enough. Her face turned red when she couldn't succeed in tugging it down. Before she could start crying again, Kakashi pulled down his mask to pool around his neck. Akiko instantly giggled, swatting her small hands at the fabric.

Kakashi shook his head at her and cooed at her, "You know, you're going to have to grow out of that. You can't be unmasking me in public. I have a reputation to uphold in this town."

As if she knew what he was saying, she laughed again with a big gummy smile. Kakashi couldn't help but smile back at her. A few minutes later and Akiko was finally back to sleep. Kakashi gently put her back in her crib and covered her with a small blanket.

When he went back to the living room, he found Sakura asleep still leaning against the wall. She was snoring and her hair was a mess, tied half hazardly in a ponytail. Most people would probably think she looked unattractive, with her makeup smeared and baby food on her shirt. But Kakashi could still see the beauty of the woman he'd always known.

Kakashi knelt down and picked her up in his arms. He carried her to her room and placed her gently in her bed. He pulled the covers over her and took out the ponytail in her hair. He turned to leave when he felt a hand grab his.

He looked down at her and she blinked sleepily up at him, "'Kashi?"

"Akiko's fine, Sakura. Just go to sleep," He told her in a soft voice.

She pulled on him, "You, too."

Kakashi jerked a thumb behind him, "I am."

Sakura frowned at him, "You should really sleep in a bed."

Kakashi pulled away from her and shook his head, "I'm not sleeping in their bed. The couch is fine."

Sakura rolled over and gestured beside her, "Just sleep here."

Kakashi stared at her for a moment, debating whether she was conscious enough to know what she was saying. Deciding that the couch wasn't comfortable at all and he was tired of having a crick in his neck, Kakashi climbed in beside her. A second later and Sakura was cuddled against him and he fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her.

 ** _DIVIDER_**

A couple weeks later and Kakashi came home from a mission to a house a chaos. He could hear Akiko crying when he walked through the door and wondered why Sakura hadn't checked on her. He followed the noise to the kitchen and found Akiko being held against Sakura's hip as Sakura tried to put something in the oven.

He could just see Akiko's red and wailing face, because Sakura's back was to him. Sakura bounced Akiko trying to shush her, but it seemed like it wasn't soothing her like it normally would.

"Sakura?" Kakashi stepped towards her and Sakura turned at the sound of his voice.

Sakura wiped at her face and Kakashi could tell she had been crying, especially when she spoke, "Hey, Kakashi. I, um, was just putting some cookies in the oven. They should, uh, be ready soon."

Kakashi walked over to her and gently took Akiko away from her. Akiko was still crying, but she seemed to be calming down better in his arms. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

Sakura stared at Akiko practically falling asleep in Kakashi's arms and looked like she was about to start crying. But she shook it off and gave Kakashi a confused look, "I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing's wrong."

"You know she can tell when you're upset. It was why she was crying so much," Kakashi argued.

Sakura looked away from him and said, "Sasuke came by today."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, having an idea of what Sasuke could have said to make Sakura so upset.

"He told me that I should leave Akiko to you if I ever wanted a chance at being with him," Sakura told him with a hand on her hip still looking away from him.

Kakashi felt his heart stutter, but he tried to ignore it. He cleared his throat, "Well, um, if you –"

Sakura turned to him with a glare, but he knew it wasn't all directed at him, "I am _not_ leaving my family."

Kakashi fought back a relieved sigh and Sakura went on. She scoffed, "He wanted my help in rebuilding his _clan_. He said it was too bad there wasn't another Uchiha he could marry, so his heirs would be _pure_. But I would _have to do_. Can you believe that?"

Kakashi actually could believe that and he could tell even a part of Sakura wasn't surprised. "Do you want me to go kick his ass?" Kakashi offered, though he might do it even if she said no.

Sakura didn't smile, but the corners of her mouth perked up at bit, "Kakashi, you wouldn't win in a fight against Sasuke."

Kakashi looked at her in mock offense, "Well, maybe, but it's not like he wouldn't come out unscathed."

Sakura chuckled and looked down at Akiko now sleeping peacefully against Kakashi's chest, "It's okay. I'm pretty sure I broke his nose earlier when I hit him."

"Just his nose?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her with a grin.

She shrugged, smiling, "I held back. Akiko was in my other arm."

Kakashi laughed and when Sakura did too, he knew she was feeling better. When the buzzer went off for the cookies a few minutes later, Kakashi asked her, "Hey, why don't I take you out to dinner tonight?"

Sakura looked at him surprised and Kakashi could see a faint blush dusting her cheeks, "But Akiko –"

Kakashi shrugged, looking down at her, "We can ask Ino or Hinata to babysit. I'm sure neither of them would mind."

Sakura smiled widely, "Well, okay." She finished putting the cookies on a plate and then left the kitchen saying, "I'm going to call Ino and ask!"

 ** _DIVIDER_**

Kakashi looked down at the woman he had in his arms. She was smiling up at him, her jade green eyes bright with the contrast of her black eyeliner. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and they were standing on their front porch.

"So, is this the part where you finally show me that mysterious face of yours?" She asked him, pulling him closer to her.

Kakashi chuckled, "You haven't caught it after all the times Akiko has pulled it down?"

Sakura bite her lip and Kakashi's eyes were drawn to the movement, "I've been waiting for you to show me yourself."

Kakashi pulled his mask down and before Sakura could even glance, he was already kissing her. She melted against him and Kakashi wondered how he had gone on so long without having her like this. Her lips were chapped and he was probably smudging her lipstick, but he didn't care. They moved against his so naturally it was like they had been doing it for years.

When they broke for air, Sakura opened her eyes and stared into his. After a few seconds, she remembered and looked down at his face. But her only response was a smile and she leaned forward to kiss him again.

Kakashi could have sworn he heard her mumble, "Beautiful," against his lips.

 ** _DIVIDER_**

Sakura walked into her house to see Kakashi staring at Akiko, who giggling in his lap on the couch. He had a far-off look in his eyes and they almost looked glazed over. Sakura stepped towards them and sat next to Kakashi on the couch, "Kashi, what's wrong?"

Kakashi didn't look away from Akiko as he spoke, "Akiko said her first word."

Sakura's jaw dropped and she grinned excited, "Really? What was it?"

"Dada."

Sakura looked at Kakashi and she had never seen him look so scared and happy at the same time. She picked Akiko up from his lap and cooed at her, "That's right, princess. He is your dada."

Akiko giggled and waved her hands happily, "Dada!"

She felt Kakashi wrap an arm around her and press a kiss into her hair. She tickled Akiko and smiled as the baby laughed. She didn't comment on how shaken Kakashi's voice sounded when he told her, "Thank you." And in return he didn't say anything when Sakura cried a few days later after Akiko learned her second word, " _Mama_."

 ** _DIVIDER_**

* _year later_ *

"Don't you think you did this a little out of order?" Ino chuckled as she pinned Sakura's hair up, "Isn't supposed to be marriage, move in together, then baby?"

Sakura laughed, "Yeah, well, sometimes, life works out a little unexpectedly."

Naruto peeked his head in then and told them, "Hey, Sakura-chan, they're ready for you."

Ino finished the finishing touched to Sakura's hair and makeup, then with a quick hug left the room. Sakura met Naruto outside the door and he held his arm out for her. She took it with a warm smile, grateful that he was happy to give her away in the place of her parents who had died during the war.

Naruto grinned at her as he led her outside and he chuckled, "Life sure does work out in funny ways, huh?"

Sakura smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I think I owe Shizune one in the afterlife."


End file.
